奥地利最高法院推翻总统选举结果

AS IT IS 2016-07-02 Austria’s Highest Court Orders New Presidential Election 奥地利最高法院推翻总统选举结果

Austria will have its second presidential election this year in September or October.

That is because the country’s highest court overturned the results of the presidential election in May. The court pointed¹ to problems in the counting of ballots² sent in the mail.

In the May election, former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen defeated Norbert Hofer, leader of the Freedom Party.

Hofer lost by about 31,000 votes -- or less than one percentage point. The Austrian Constitutional Court ruled that more than two times that number of votes were subject to questionable³ counting.

The court’s ruling halted plans for Van der Bellen to be sworn-in as president on July 8. It also gives Hofer another chance to win the election.

Hofer has campaigned openly against immigration. He reportedly carried a gun during campaign appearances.

Public support for anti-immigrant parties has been rising in some European countries in recent months. The Austrian court’s ruling raises concerns in the European Union, one week after a British vote to leave the EU.

Hofer has called for an Austrian vote on the country’s EU membership “within a year” unless the organization makes major reforms.

Van der Bellen strongly supports keeping Austria in the European Union.

The office of president is mostly a ceremonial position. The head of government is the chancellor⁴, a position now held by Christian⁵ Kern of the Socialist⁶ Democratic Party.

But the president has the power to dismiss the chancellor and call for new elections. Hofer has said he would use that power and others to push his agenda for stopping immigration and blocking free trade agreements.

In its ruling, the Constitutional Court said some mail ballots were counted earlier than permitted under the law. It also said some ballots were counted by individuals without power to do so.

The court’s president, Gerhard Holzinger, said the judges found no evidence of cheating. “The decision…doesn’t make anyone a loser or a winner,” he said. “It should only serve one purpose – to strengthen trust in our legal system and therefore our democracy.”

Words in This Story

inaugurate – v. to introduce a newly elected official into a job or position with a formal ceremony

agenda – n. a list of things to be considered or done

cautious – adj. careful about avoiding danger or risk

1 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

2 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

4 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

5 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

6 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。